City of the Dead
by clslovegood47
Summary: Ladybug hoped that it would be an easy Akuma, but she was wrong. When the attack turns deadly, the spotted heroine makes several surprising discoveries about her partner. WARNING: People die, but they don't actually die. Everyone lives in the end. There is violence, but it is not graphic. It eventually turns into fluff.


Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for choosing to read "City of the Dead". This angsty little one-shot has been rattling around my brain for days (and preventing me from writing the proposal scene for "The Best Friend Swap").

As stated in the summary, people die, but they don't actually die. Everyone lives in the end. There is violence, but it is not graphic. It eventually turns into fluff.

Any comments are greatly appreciated. They fuel my need to keep writing about these wonderful, lovesick dorks.

I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

Tumblr: gryffindorcls (I will be posting my fics to the "Princess In Training" blog. Also, come talk to me over there! I would love to discuss my stories and the Miraculous fandom with y'all!)

AO3: clslovegood47

I own nothing but the plot.

* * *

When the Akuma Alarm went off on her phone, Marinette rolled her eyes. This was the fifth Akuma she was going to have to battle this week, and it was only Wednesday. Hawkmoth was on a roll.

"_It's probably just Mr. Ramier for the 34th time. He's been getting pretty worked up recently_," she thought to herself as she pushed away from her desk and stood up.

"Looks like we have a job to do...again." Marinette looked at her Kwami and sighed. "Let's just hope that it won't take that long. I still have to finish my homework."

The tiny, red being nuzzled her holder's cheek. "It'll be okay Marinette. I know being Ladybug has been a lot of work this week, but you can do it!"

"Thanks. Maybe I'll get lucky today. Hawkmoth has been sending out some pretty terrible Akumas lately. Perhaps this one will be one of those."

"Whenever you're ready, Marinette!"

"TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"

* * *

When Ladybug touched down at the scene of the attack, she quickly observed her surroundings. The silence was deafening. There were no people...no animals...no signs of life, and the Akuma was nowhere in sight. However, in the distance, she could see what appeared to be hundreds of different piles of clothes.

"_I need to get a better look_," she thought.

She walked tentatively towards one of the piles and saw that the clothing still contained its owner. The person before her was pale and unmoving. His glassy stare was unsettling. She bent down and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Sir, are you okay?" she asked.

He didn't move. Not even a hint of a reaction could be seen. The man didn't flinch, his eyes did not dilate, and he didn't appear to be breathing. She then decided to check for a pulse. A soft, terrified gasp passed through her lips.

She ran to another lump of clothing only to be greeted with the same sight. Ladybug checked a dozen more bodies before the shock wore off and the first tear rolled down her cheek.

"They're all dead," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Ladybug's throat went dry as she attempted to swallow. Her hands shook as more tears began to streak across her cheeks. Nonetheless, she pressed on.

As she walked down the desolate Parisian street, she found more bodies. Thousands of people lay scattered on the streets and sidewalks. Shops and restaurants once filled with lively patrons now stood silent and full of the dead.

Her heart was in her throat as she continued searching for the Akuma and any signs of life. While walking past the park's entrance, she saw a familiar orange plaid shirt and a mop of disheveled brown curls lying on the ground.

Within seconds Ladybug was kneeling next to Alya's motionless form. She choked back a sob and slumped over her best friend. On the pavement lay the Ladyblogger's phone. It was cracked and broken.

"_She must have been trying to film the action. Why does she always run towards the danger?"_

A clank of metal and a loud thud sounded behind her. She released a shaky sigh of relief. Her partner was here.

"Woah, what on earth happened?" Chat questioned loudly.

Ladybug stood up, turned around, and wiped the tears from her eyes. Concern immediately flooded his features as he rushed to her side. Chat wrapped his arms around her, and she melted into his embrace. Her tears returned in the form of ugly, painful sobs. She cried violently with her whole body while Chat held her tightly against his chest.

"My lady, what…oh." She assumed he must have seen Alya.

"They're dead, Chat. All of them. They're not breathing." Her words came out as whimpers.

"It'll be okay. We'll make it. Once we've kicked the Akuma's butt, you'll bring them back...just like you brought me back all those other times."

"But what if I can't."

"Don't think like that right now."

"Chat, it always comes down to me. I always have to be the one to fix the mess. I have to be the one to bring everyone back. How do I know that the Miraculous Cure will always work? What if it doesn't? I have to live with it if it doesn't."

"One thing at a time, Bugaboo. I know it's a lot of pressure, and I'm sorry. I promise to listen to everything that you have to say about this later, but for right now, we need to focus. Don't think about the what-ifs."

Ladybug tightened her grip on her partner. "Chat, please don't get hit today."

He pulled away and allowed their gazes to meet. "My lady, I will do everything in my power to stay by your side and help you. However, you and I both know that the unfortunate nature of my position is that I will always have to be the one to take the hit...not you. It can _never_ be you."

"Can you at least promise to be careful?"

"For you, Ladybug, anything. Now, let's go find this Akuma and fix this mess."

Both heroes took to the rooftops and bolted across the city. Finally, they heard the sound of distant screaming.

Ladybug and Chat Noir landed in the middle of the action. The Akuma released a manic laugh that turned the spotted heroine's insides to ice.

Hawkmoth's latest victim wore a tattered hospital gown and shot lightning bolts from paddles that had replaced his hands. The wires ran from the paddles and were connected to his chest. His eyes were a blinding white, and his skin glowed a radioactive orange.

"This needs to end now!" Ladybug screamed, alerting the Akuma to their arrival.

"Ah, Ladybug and Chat Noir. So nice of you to finally join me," the victim cackled.

"I don't know what happened to make you upset or what Hawkmoth promised you, but you are taking the lives of innocent people. Nothing makes this okay."

"YOU KNOW NOTHING! My so-called friends decided it would be fun to scare me this morning, knowing full well that I have a heart condition. After my heart stopped beating, the paramedics had to shock me back to life. I am Heartstopper, and I'm just returning the favor."

Chat stepped forward. "Your 'friends' who hurt you this morning are not here. This may be _shocking _for you to hear, but these people did nothing to you."

"They would have if they were given the chance," Heartstopper shrieked, "Everyone's the same."

"Trust me, they're not. A few years ago, I had the chance to make new friends, and my life got infinitely better. Not everyone is bad."

"ENOUGH! I grow tired of listening to you. Hawkmoth wants your Miraculouses. First, let's squash the bug."

The Akuma laughed as he charged his paddles and shot a powerful beam of crackling electricity towards Ladybug.

"NO!" Chat screamed, turning his baton into a whirling shield.

The second the beam met the spinning metal of his staff, the air seemed to explode. The metal rod went flying from his grip as Chat's knees gave out beneath him. Ladybug caught her partner before he hit the ground. As she held him, his body went slack and his head lolled to the side.

The conclusion of a shaky, choke-like breath was met with the shrill, ear-piercing beep of his Miraculous. She looked at his hand and saw that his ring no longer had any pads despite not having been used to summon his Cataclysm.

Ladybug flung her yo-yo towards a distant building and vaulted away with a limp Chat in her arms. When she landed, she crouched behind a chimney and held her partner against her chest. She closed her eyes as a bright, green light washed over his body.

"Ladybug," a small, gravelly voice called, "you have to open your eyes."

"No!" she yelled, tears threatening to fall once again, "I'll see him! Why did he detransform?"

"I can't hold a transformation on someone who isn't alive."

Her eyes shot open and landed on the black Kwami floating in front of her. "He's gone, too?"

"He's not gone yet," Plagg sighed, "but he's dying. His heart stopped, and it's only a matter of time."

"He told me he would try to be careful."

"All my cats know that their biggest job is to protect their bugs. You can't blame him for this. He did the right thing."

"What do I do?"

"The same thing you always do. Break the Akumatized object and call for the Miraculous Cure. This is no different than any other Akuma battle."

Ladybug shook her head. "But I'm scared."

"And you think I'm not!" Plagg yelled, "He's the best Chat Noir I've ever had. I can't lose him either."

"There must be something I can do."

"I already told you what you need to do, and you're wasting time!"

An idea flooded into her brain. "Wait...I _can_ do something!"

She took a deep breath and laid Chat on the ground. Everything inside of her stopped when she looked at her detransformed partner.

"Adrien," she breathed.

"_Act now, think later_!" her mind screamed.

She used her finger to find his breastbone. Using interlocking hands, she gave him thirty steady chest compressions before tilting his head back to give him two rescue breaths. She didn't even stop to think about the fact that their lips were touching. Right now, her only mission was to make him breathe again. She needed him to be okay.

She did a few more rounds of CPR before Adrien's eyes shot open and he took a long, gasping breath. Within seconds, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slumped over once again. Ladybug emitted a happy cry when she saw his chest rise and fall.

He wasn't awake, but _he was alive_. His breaths were slow and labored, but _he was breathing_.

Plagg zipped over to his chosen and landed on his head. "How...what did you do?"

"A few years ago my mom signed me up for First Aid classes so I could get more babysitting business. They taught us CPR. I couldn't lose him again. I know that the Miraculous Cure would have brought him back, but I couldn't stand the thought of losing him again."

"Look, you did a good job. He's breathing, and it's time for you to finish the fight."

"Yeah," she whispered, leaning over and brushing his golden locks away from his face, "I know I need to leave, but all I want to do is stay with him."

"Go save the day, little bug. You will have plenty of time to be with him when this is over. I'll keep him safe until you come back," Plagg declared.

Ladybug nodded in agreement, stood up, and threw her yo-yo into the air. "LUCKY CHARM!"

A red and black spotted umbrella with a rubber handle fell into her hands. She felt a pang in her chest as she looked at the object. It was both a sign and a solution.

Ladybug once again knelt on the ground next to her unconscious partner. She placed a light, feathery kiss on his forehead before rising to her feet.

"I promise, _mon minou_, that I will make this right." She tightened her grip on the umbrella and bounded across the rooftops.

* * *

When Ladybug's feet touched the ground, all of her grief had been replaced by seething anger and boundless determination. She was going to heal Chat. She was going to bring back Alya. She was going to save Paris.

"Hey, Heartstopper," she called to the Akuma, "Let's finish this."

"Ladybug!" Hawkmoth's victim squealed with delight, "Where's your feline friend? Did he run out of lives?"

She narrowed her eyes and opened the umbrella. "Nope."

"I'm afraid today's storm doesn't have any rain...just lighting."

"Still, one can never be too prepared."

"Either way, I hope you're ready to lose!"

Heartstopper aimed a bolt of electricity in her direction. She gripped the rubber handle and held the umbrella in front of her. The metal crackled with energy as the fabric vaporized in a puff of smoke.

Ladybug launched herself off the ground and caught herself on one of the wires coming from the Akuma's paddles. She used one of the now exposed hinges on the umbrella to keep herself in place. She clamped down on the wire using her makeshift shears and sliced through the cord, releasing a blackened butterfly into the air.

Using her yo-yo, she snatched the Akuma, purified it, and released it. Hastily, she tossed her Lucky Charm into the air and called for the Miraculous Cure. Relief swelled within her gut as the magical ladybugs swarmed all over Paris and the once fallen bodies began to move again.

She breathed out a laugh when sounds of life began to fill the streets. Her hands flew to her mouth when she saw a flash of orange running towards her.

"Ladybug," Alya yelled, "Can you tell us what happened here?"

She did her best to refrain from pulling her best friend into a bone-crushing hug. She was not Marinette right now. Instead, Ladybug placed a gentle hand on Alya's shoulder.

"Everyone was gone. The Akuma…" A loud beep cut her off. "The victim was hurt before he was Akumatized. Can you please call for some help?"

"Uhh...sure? Can I at least ask where Chat Noir is?"

"_If Alya is here, that means he's okay_." Ladybug's eyes widened at the realization.

"I can't stay and talk. Another time." Her earrings beeped again, "I have to go!"

Before Alya could ask any more questions, Ladybug swung off on her yo-yo. She raced across the rooftops as fast as her legs would allow.

Upon reaching the right roof, she skidded to a halt. She was met with the sight of a confused Adrien slowly standing up and brushing the dirt off his jeans. Ladybug launched herself at him, causing him to stumble backward.

"Why, hello there, my lady," he said, closing his arms around her while she buried her face in his shirt, "Could you by chance tell me what happened?"

Plagg flew over to his chosen. "Your heart stopped, kid. Ladybug saved you."

"What? I...wow...wait..." He paused before continuing. "If Plagg is there, then that means…"

Ladybug could feel his heart rate quicken and his breaths become shallow. She wanted to calm him down, but she couldn't help but smile at how _alive_ he felt.

"I'm so sorry! I know you didn't want us to know each other's identities." He was definitely panicking in her arms, so she squeezed him harder.

"I don't care." Her words were muffled by his shirt.

"Really?"

"You're alive, _chaton_. You almost left me again, but you're alive. That's all that matters. I don't care about anything else. When you collapsed, it felt like the world had ended. When your heart stopped, mine stopped right along with it. Then, you started breathing again, and…" She cut herself off.

Her tears flowed freely as they sunk to the ground together. Neither let go of the other. He rubbed her back as uncontrollable sobs racked her body. She stopped when she heard another loud beep from her earrings.

She pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"Don't ever do that again," she whispered in her ear, "Don't ever leave me. I love you too much to let you."

"You...you love me?" he asked in awe.

"I've always loved you, Adrien. I've loved you since the day you gave me your umbrella."

Her earrings sounded a final time before a bright pink light washed over her, leaving Marinette in her stead.

"Of course," he sighed, pulling her back into his arms, "It only makes sense for it to be you."

He nuzzled the top of her head, and she released a happy hum. She never wanted to leave his embrace.

"Wait," he moved away without letting go, "does this mean that the other boy you told me you were in love with was…"

"You," Marinette declared, "It was always you."

"But...you always seemed so stand-offish around me."

"I'm sorry about that. Honestly, I was just anxious. I was scared of what you'd say if you ever knew. I may have gotten better at talking to you over the years, but I still got really nervous whenever we hung out with Nino and Alya. After today though...all of that seems really stupid. I'm just so happy you're alive."

"So, we've been dancing around each other for three years?"

"That appears to be the case, _chaton_."

He bit his lip. "Could we maybe...not do that anymore?"

Marinette cocked her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I've been in love with you since the day we met, and it would appear that you've felt the same way for just as long. I would really like it if we could...be together?"

"I would like that."

Adrien's face lit up and his eyes sparkled. "May I kiss you, Marinette?"

Her breath hitched. "Yes, please. I would _really_ like that."

Without hesitation, he closed the gap between them and allowed their lips to meet. An explosion of butterflies coursed through her body. She melted into Adrien and allowed him to hold her up with his strong, steady arms. It felt right, and she felt complete.

When they finally broke away she whispered, "What happens now?"

He grinned. "I don't know, but it'll be wonderful as long as I'm with you."

When Marinette got to school the next day, she ran over to her best friend and pulled her into a hug.

"Woah, girl!" Alya took a step back to maintain her balance. "What's with the intense greeting? We just saw each other yesterday."

Marinette released her. "You posted on the Ladyblog that you got caught in the attack last night. That Akuma was literally stopping people's hearts! I'm so relieved that you're okay!"

"You know that Ladybug is always there to save the day. You never have anything to worry about."

"Yes, I do. Alya, I care about you, and I don't want you to get hurt. I'm all for you 'getting the scoop', but could you maybe duck behind a tree or something?"

"Does it really mean that much to you?"

"YES!"

Alya laughed. "Okay! Okay! I'll try to stay hidden when it gets dangerous."

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I don't think you know how much it means to me to hear you say that."

The two girls chatted happily until Marinette watched Alya's eyes lock on something in the distance.

"Hey," she began, "don't look now, but a certain model is walking this way."

Marinette turned around and met Adrien's loving gaze. Her heart skipped a beat when he shot her a toothy smile.

When Adrien reached her, he softly placed his hands on Marinette's cheeks, leaned in, and gave her a loving kiss on the lips. She felt her insides turn to mush while Alya released an excited squeal.

After a few moments, they broke away, and Adrien rested his forehead on her own.

"Good morning, princess," he said breathlessly.

"Hello, _minou_," she responded with a smile.

"GIRL!" Alya shouted, "When did _this _happen?"

Marinette turned to look at her best friend without letting go of Adrien. "Last night."

"OHMYGOD! I'm going to need details!"

Nino walked over to the trio, slung his arm around Alya, and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Good morning, babe. What's going on?"

Instead of answering with words, Alya gestured wildly towards Marinette and Adrien who were still wrapped up in each other's arms.

"Finally, bro!" Nino patted Adrien on the shoulder, "Does that mean we have someone to go on double dates with now?"

Adrien's eyes never left Marinette's face. "Only if my girlfriend is okay with it."

Marinette rolled her eyes and looked at the other couple. "Yes, we will go on double dates with you two."

The warning bell rang, and the four teens groaned.

"I guess we'll have to finish this conversation at lunch," Alya stated, "How about we all go somewhere together?"

The other three members of the group nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good to me!" Marinette responded cheerfully.

Alya and Nino started walking towards their first class.

Adrien took Marinette's hand. "Are you ready to start the first day of the rest of our lives, my lady?"

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "As long as I'm by your side, I'm ready for anything, _chaton_."


End file.
